Mikaela Shiffrin wins World Cup Finals giant slalom to round out 2022-2023 season and set more new records
The American scored her 21st World Cup giant slalom victory, breaking Vreni Schneider's women's record, ahead of Norway's Thea Louise Stjernesund and Valerie Grenier of Canada.
Alpine Skiing
Mikaela Shiffrin ended a spectacular season in style with victory in the giant slalom at the FIS Ski World Cup Finals Andorra 2023 on Sunday (19 March).
The 28-year-old American led her rivals by 0.62 seconds after the first run, and held on to win by six-hundredths from Norway's Thea Louise Stjernesund.
Third place went to Canada's Valerie Grenier who took the Kranjska Gora giant slalom in January.
This was double Olympic champion Shiffrin's 14th Alpine Ski World Cup triumph of the season, and her 88th in total after she broke Ingemar Stenmark's 34-year-old wins record at Are last weekend.
Shiffrin is also now the record holder for women's World Cup GS race wins with 21, one ahead of Vreni Schneider.
The win moves her clear of Lindsey Vonn as the woman with most podium finishes in World Cup races, after equalling the record on Saturday.
She had a surprise after the victory ceremony as her partner, Norwegian speedster Aleksander Aamodt Kilde, conducted the interview for FIS.
When asked, "How did it feel?" she replied, "I feel OK. This is amazing (laughs).
"I feel great. All these women that were fighting on this second run... and Thea, congrats, I just barely squeaked by that. And Val, really big congrats. And to all the women for the whole season. Excited to come back and do it again next year."
She was momentarily lost for words when asked by Kilde what the next record was on her agenda before she managed to come up with, "I don't know. You guys tell me. Just keep moving right along."
Lara Gut-Behrami was fourth on the day to finish second behind Shiffrin in the giant slalom season discipline standings from Marta Bassino.
Saturday's slalom winner Petra Vlhova failed to finish the first run with the Slovak slipping from second to fourth in the giant slalom standings.
Results from Women's Giant Slalom World Cup Finals in Soldeu, Andorra, on 19 March 2023 (top 10):
- Mikaela Shiffrin (USA) 1:55.88
- Thea Louise Stjernesund (NOR) +0.06
- Valerie Grenier (CAN) +0.20
- Lara Gut-Behrami (SUI) +0.46
- Mina Fuerst Holtmann (NOR) +0.64
- Marta Bassino (ITA) +0.69
- Alice Robinson (NZL) +0.77
- Maryna Gasienica-Daniel (POL) +0.85
- Ragnhild Mowinckel (NOR) +1.08
- Maria Therese Tviberg (NOR) +1.20
Giant Slalom globe winner and top three - Women's Alpine Ski World Cup 2022/23 season final standings
- Mikaela Shiffrin (USA) 800 points
- Lara Gut-Behrami (SUI) 532
- Marta Bassino (ITA) 515
Final Women's World Cup overall standings
- Mikaela Shiffrin (USA) 2,206 points
- Lara Gut-Behrami (SUI) 1,217
- Petra Vlhova (SVK) 1,125